Men’s Water Polo Adds Seven Student-Athletes for 2012 Season

Ted Minnis will begin his third year as the Harvard men's water polo coach in 2012 (photo Gil Talbot).

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Ted Minnis, the head coach for the Harvard men's water polo team, has announced the addition of seven student-athletes for the upcoming season. Five of the recruits call California home, while one hails from Connecticut and another is from Rhode Island.

"I am very excited about the talented student-athletes that will be joining us in the class of 2016," said Minnis. "They have worked hard in and out of the pool, and they will make an immediate impact to the program."

Harvard is coming off a 10-20 season in 2011, in which it placed fourth at the CWPA Northern Division Championship. The fourth-place finish gave the Crimson a berth into the CWPA Eastern Division Championship for the first time in four years, where the squad defeated Iona, 13-10, in the seventh-place game. The Crimson returns 10 players from last year's team.

Robbie Fluegge, Orinda, Calif./Miramonte High School Three-year letterwinner in water polo ... Swam for four years ... Two-time all-league honoree in water polo ... Member of the Pacific Zone USA Olympic Development team for three years ... Olympic Development National Selection Camp participant for two years ... Pacific Zone Senior All-Star selection ... USA Water Polo Academic All-American Outstanding Achievement award honoree ... Led Miramonte High School water polo to division 1 NCS championship in 2011 and top Northern California team in 2011 ... Water polo teams won North Coast sectional division 1 championships six of the last seven years ... Named an NICSA/Speedo All-American in swimming in 2011 ... First team North Coast sectional honoree and medley relay record holder ... NCS Division qualifier in swimming for four years ... OMPA League top time for backstroke and High Point Award winner ... National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar with Distinction and Summa Cum laude on National Latin Exam ... Served as a high school mentor for freshmen ... Coached 12 and under club water polo for four years ... Coached club swimming for two years ... Volunteered at the Special Olympics ... Last name pronounced Floo-gee.

Noah Harrison, Huntington Beach, Calif./Huntington Beach HS Named to the All-America third team ... Three-year letterwinner in water polo and four-year letterwinner in swimming ... First-team All-CIF and sunset league selection in water polo as a senior ... Second team All-Southern California pick in 2011 ... Third-team All-California/Hawaii as a senior ... Voted the water polo and swimming teams' Most Valuable Player in 2011 ... Earned the Huntington Beach High School Athletic Recognition Award as a senior ... Placed first in the 100 fly and second in the 100 backstroke in the Sunset League ... Finished in 10th place in the CIF in the 100 fly ... Co-record holder in the 50 free relay ... Scholar-athlete for seven semesters ... Principal's Award (highest GPA) for water polo in 2011 ... USA water polo academic All-American in 2010, 2011 and 2012 ... Held the position of senior teacher on the Model United Nations ... Member of the National Honor Society.Blake Lee, San Diego, Calif./The Bishop's School Named to the All-America third team ... Played water polo and swam for four years at The Bishop's School ... Captained both the water polo and swimming teams as a senior ... Named All-CIF second team 2010 and All-CIF first team in 2011 ... Selected as the tournament MVP at the 2011 Sand Diego Open ... Earned Union Tribune All-Academic honors in 2010 and 2011 ... Honorable mention 2010 Junior Olympic All-American ... All-Western League second team in 2010 and first team in 2011 ... Helped The Bishop's School win CIF championships in 2008 and 2010 ... Member of the 2010 and 2011 US Youth National Team ... Fourth place at the 2011 Junior Olympics ... Holds the medley relay, 50 free relay and 100 free relay records at The Bishop's School ... Voted the swimming team's MVP as a senior ... Spanish Honor Society member ... Six-year Honor Roll member and three-year member of the Peer Support student run organization ... Earned 80 hours of community service while doing water polo clinics in Southeast San Diego and helping run non-profit tournaments.

Christopher Miao, Greenwich, Conn./Deerfield Academy Four-year letter winner in water polo … Four-year letter winner in swimming … Four-year letter winner in crew … Captained the water polo team as a senior … Named to the All-Tournament Team at the New England Water Polo Championships – NEPSAC in 2010 and 2011 … Helped the water polo team win the NEPSAC championships in 2008, 2010, and 2011 … Led the water polo team in assists in 2010 and 2011 … Recorded 67 goals in 19 games as a junior … Helped win NEPSAC swimming championship in 2009 … National Merit Scholar Finalist … College Board AP Scholar … Four-year member of the Honor Roll … U.S. President Scholar candidate … Co-founder of Room to Read chapter at Deerfield … Coached regional Special Olympics swimming athletes from 2009 – 2011 … Served as Vice President (2011-2012) and Treasurer (2009-2010) of the Asian Student Alliance … Selected as Diversity Alliance Co-Chair and head Tour Guide at Deerfield Academy as a senior … Father, Gene Miao '83, attended Harvard.

Austen Novis, Jamestown, R.I./Phillips Academy Andover Four-year letterwinner in water polo ... Also lettered four times in cycling and swimming ... Captained the cycling team as a junior and senior ... Named the 2009 Boston Globe Prep School Athlete of the Year ... Competed in the ITU World Championships in Budapest, Hungary in 2010, placing seventh in the triathlon and third in the aquathlon for his age group ... All-American in the triathlon in 2009 and 2010 ... Won the New England Prep School Boys Cylcing championship in 2009 ... Member of the 200 free relay team that was up for All-America consideration in 2010 ... Honor Roll for all four years of high school ... Father, Bruce Novis '87, played water polo at Harvard and his mother, Esther Novis '87, was a member of the Crimson squash team.

Colin Woolway, Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic School Four-year letterwinner in water polo and volleyball ... Captained the water polo team as a senior and volleyball team as a junior and senior ... Named to the all-tournament team at the US Club Championships in 2010 ... Honorable mention All-American at the Junior Olympics in 2009 and 2010 ... Earned Most Valuable Goalie honors at the Mikasa Left Coast International Championship in 2010 ... All-CIF and All-Prep League first team in 2010 and 2011 ... Pasadena Star-News All-San Babriel Valley first team selection in 2010 and Player of the Year in 2011 ... Voted water polo and volleyball team's MVP as a senior ... Selected All-Prep League first team in volleyball as a junior and senior ... Helped the water polo team to Prep League championships in 2010 and 2011 ... Member of the yearbook staff and Student-Athlete Leadership Council ... Volunteered as a tutor at the Family Resource Center of Hatahaway Sycamores ... Served as a mentor at the Pasadena Independent Schools Foundation ... Father, Bob Woolway '81, was a linebacker on the Harvard football team ... Cousins, Katie Condon (UC San Diego) and Jenny Woolway (UC Davis), play collegiate volleyball.

Ben Zepfel, Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar Named to the USA Water Polo Men's Junior/Youth National Team ... Lettered in water polo and swimming at Corona del Mar ... Captained the water polo team as a senior ... Member of the CIF Division II championship team in 2010 ... His water polo teams won four Pacific Coast League championships (2008-2011) ... Traveled to Auckland, New Zealand with the U18 boys team that finished third at the 2010 Pan Pacific Tournament ... Member of water polo teams that finished second (2011) and fourth (2010) at the S&R Cup Southern California Invitational Water Polo Tournament ... Named the team's Most Valuable Player as a senior ... First team All-Southern California, first team All-CIF Southern Section Division II and second team All-America selection as a senior ... Chosen as the Pacific Coast League's MVP in 2011 ... Named to the Los Angeles Times – Daily Pilot Dream Team, Orange County Register/OCVarsity.com All-County second team and varsity CIF Team ... The Orange County Jewish Sports Hall of Fame named him the 2011 Scholar-Athlete of the Year ... Outstanding Performance Award winner as a junior and Academic Excellence Award honoree for all four years ... USA Water Polo Academic All-American and Oustanding Achiever as a sophomore, junior and senior ... Valedictorian, National Merit finalist and AP Scholar with Distinction ... Earned Academic Lamp with Highest Honors and Academic Letter with Honors ... Member of the Principal's Honor Roll ... Brother, Evan Zepfel '12, was a member of the Harvard water polo team ... Sister, Adina Zepfel, played water polo at George Washington as a freshman ... Cousin, Ted Zepfel, was an All-American water polo player at Southern California and helped the Trojans to national titles in 2003 and 2005 ... Cousin, Andrew Zepfel, played water polo at Claremont McKenna College and was a ACWPC Division III All-American.